MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.7 Problems

[Davidkoh]

1) Because I've tried it.
I had the rollback to 1.6 applied when it first was released to Apple Stores. This resolved the frequent and annoying freezing I was seeing (video). Today, upon hearing of the new update… I re-updated to EFI 1.7… verified the issue was there… applied the "Performance Update 1.0"… verified the issue was still there… have scheduled another firmware rollback for tomorrow.

2) Because it's an OS update, not a firmware update. An OS update will do nothing to resolve hardware interface issues that also show themselves with other OSes -- and people have seen this SATA II interface issue with Windows, Linux, etc. running on their MBPs.

The update appears to have resolved some beachballing issues that people have been having, but it does not address this issue with the SATA II interface implementation in EFI 1.7 firmware.

1) Yes it does, makes the issue better for me. Since EFI 1.7 I been getting alot of beachballs, especially when doing alot at the same time (torrent + certain videos + firefox is a sure way to get em within a few minutes). Yesterday I got the beachballs every 9 minutes in a movie. But since this update instead of the whole computer locking up and beachballing, instead the program which causes the problem locks up (so if I watch a movie the movie freezes, but I dont get a system wide beachball anymore, so I can still surf the web/type in firefox)

And yeah, im on a X25-M drive.

2) That's not really true, a OS update can ofcourse make it better. The OS handles how to push the data, so ofc you can change the way the OS interacts with the hardware...

 

[fishbert]

Might I suggest that perhaps you were experiencing a different issue than that caused by the EFI 1.7 firmware SATA II interface implementation? There are a lot of widely varying issues out there that have beachballing as a symptom.

Here is what I saw 2 months ago after applying the the EFI 1.7 update (which went away with a roll-back to 1.6):
http://vimeo.com/5854152

Here is what I see today after re-updating to EFI 1.7 and applying Performance Update 1.0:
http://vimeo.com/7078172

Additionally… the other identified symptom of this EFI 1.7 issue — increasing CRC errors — is present as well.

 

[Davidkoh]

Might I suggest that perhaps you were experiencing a different issue than that caused by the EFI 1.7 firmware SATA II interface implementation? There are a lot of widely varying issues out there that have beachballing as a symptom.

Here is what I saw 2 months ago after applying the the EFI 1.7 update (which went away with a roll-back to 1.6):
http://vimeo.com/5854152

Here is what I see today after re-updating to EFI 1.7 and applying Performance Update 1.0:
http://vimeo.com/7078172

I got the same, exactly the same. First the video player freezes and gives a beachball after a few seconds, then a few seconds later even other programs give beachball. This lasts for 30-60 seconds. Thing for me was this problem was on my stock drive, and the rollback tool posted online rolled me back to EFI 1.6 but still didn't fix my issue. Didn't have it before my initial upgrade to 1.7 though.

While on 1.7 and upgrading with this performance update though, my movies will freeze, but only for 3 seconds, and it's not producing a beachball either for the video player or any other program. It's not fixed by any means, but it is sure better to get a 1-3 seconds freeze on a movie instead of 30-60 seconds of a system wide beachball.

 

[fishbert]

... the rollback tool posted online rolled me back to EFI 1.6 but still didn't fix my issue.

Once again…

Might I suggest that perhaps you were experiencing a different issue than that caused by the EFI 1.7 firmware SATA II interface implementation? There are a lot of widely varying issues out there that have beachballing as a symptom.

 

[Davidkoh]

Once again…

Or not? The EFI 1.7 update is what got me the problem to start with. Kind of sick of you acting like some all knowing creature in this matter, when the fact is you seem to have no knowledge of how to collect data.

Might as well be you who are experiencing a different issue. Because right now we are many who are saying it is working, and you are claiming it is not. So the probability of you having some hardware problem/another issue is higher then all who tested it and having no problem being wrong.

 

[fishbert]

Or not? The EFI 1.7 update is what got me the problem to start with. Kind of sick of you acting like some all knowing creature in this matter, when the fact is you seem to have no knowledge of how to collect data.

Might as well be you who are experiencing a different issue. Because right now we are many who are saying it is working, and you are claiming it is not. So the probability of you having some hardware problem/another issue is higher then all who tested it and having no problem being wrong.

It's a special kind of blindness when one claims a firmware issue persists once that firmware has been backed out.

But who am I to question your logic… you keep beating that drum.

 

[the1payday]

It's a special kind of blindness when one claims a firmware issue persists once that firmware has been backed out.

But who am I to question your logic… you keep beating that drum.

Fishbert, go away. You are starting to epitomize the word "Troll." You're machine still isn't working after the fix? Hell...you deserve that, for how big of an ass you've been across all the mac forums that have topics about this issue.

 

[Davidkoh]

It's a special kind of blindness that claims one is seeing a firmware issue, even though it is still present when the firmware is backed out.
But who am I to question your logic… you keep beating that drum.

Or, you got another issue. Since my issues came with the EFI 1.7 upgrade and disapeared with this one, it is decently safe to assume the EFI 1.7 had something to do with it. What I find funny is that as soon as someone say something have worked for them you discard their success as them having another issue, without any sort of facts to back you up. If you are gonna act "all-knowing" at least present some fact, otherwise you will just seem like some stupid redneck.

There's numerous reasons for why the problem might stay after a 1.6 rollback, the most obvious (which even you should be able to understand) is that the rollback tool posted online is not as effective as the in store one (i.e. not the same). Or I messed the process up while applying.

The probability of these people who reported success with this update having another issue which presents itself in the EXACT same way as the EFI issue is quite a bit lower then the fix working for some people and not for others. Since no one seem to have the same problems with the EFI update (some people not getting drives to work at all, others no problem, others beachballs and so on), it is quite logical that the fix will work differently too.

You can think what you want, but if your trying to state things as fact, better back them up. That's the difference, I try to state things with logic, not saying how it is, rather what seems likely. You on the other hand say "this is how it is!" and can't present any proof.

 

[fishbert]

Fishbert, go away. You are starting to epitomize the word "Troll." You're machine still isn't working after the fix? Hell...you deserve that, for how big of an ass you've been across all the mac forums that have topics about this issue.

I'm a troll and an ass for suggesting that someone who says they still have the EFI 1.7 issue after rolling back to EFI 1.6 might actually be seeing something different?!

You'll have to explain that one to me. You know, beyond just the name-calling (stay classy).

Also, please show me somewhere in this thread (other than my rather tame "keep beating that drum" impatience of a moment ago) where I have been anything but civil. If you can't do that, perhaps you should keep the troll/ass card in your pocket and take a deep breath or two.

 

[Davidkoh]

Also, please show me somewhere in this thread (other than my rather tame "keep beating that drum" impatience of a moment ago) where I have been anything but civil. If you can't do that, perhaps you should keep the troll/ass card in your pocket and take a deep breath or two.

Well the problem is you acting superior without any proof that you are right. If you are going on about your "facts" then present proof or present them as your opinions or present your chain of logic and say you think it's the most logical conclusion.

 

[tm.chen]

I am interested to know if any has the same problem as fishbert and has his/her issue resolved with the update?

 

[fishbert]

Well the problem is you acting superior without any proof that you are right. If you are going on about your "facts" then present proof or present them as your opinions or present your chain of logic and say you think it's the most logical conclusion.

I posted before and after videos that show no change in behavior regarding this EFI 1.7 issue. How is that not at least some measure of proof? It's certainly more than I've seen from many others.

But beyond that, I don't see what everyone is arguing about here… Apple releases an extension update to their OS, and it fixes beachballing issues for some people. Is it really so inflamatory for someone else to come by and say, "no, this doesn't resolve the firmware issue, and here's a video showing exactly that."

Are people really calling each other trolls and asses over semantics here?! Be happy that your issue was resolved by Performance Update 1.0… all I'm saying is that this does not close the book on the EFI 1.7 issue; that today's update was targeted at something else, and the firmware issue is still unaddressed. I don't understand the hostility toward that perfectly reasonable claim that I have taken the time to support in the best manner I know how. And I don't understand the hostility when someone points out that maybe… just maybe… not all beachballing issues are the same thing.

 

[Davidkoh]

I am interested to know if any has the same problem as fishbert and has his/her issue resolved with the update?

My issue looked EXACTLY the same, down to the same second between the freeze of movie until the beachball came. Can't be sure it is the same issue, but it seems likely. And my movies freeze in the exact same pattern after the update, only difference is they only freeze for a few seconds, and I no longer beachball.

I posted before and after videos that show no change in behavior regarding this EFI 1.7 issue. How is that not at least some measure of proof? It's certainly more than I've seen from many others.

But beyond that, I don't see what everyone is arguing about here… Apple releases an extension update to their OS, and it fixes beachballing issues for some people. Is it really so inflamatory for someone else to come by and say, "no, this doesn't resolve the firmware issue, and here's a video showing exactly that."

Are people really calling each other trolls and asses over semantics here?! Be happy that your issue was resolved by Performance Update 1.0… all I'm saying is that this does not close the book on the EFI 1.7 issue; that today's update was targeted at something else, and the firmware issue is still unaddressed. I don't understand the hostility toward that perfectly reasonable claim that I have taken the time to support in the best manner I know how.

That's no proof of this fix not working for anyone. Clearly there are many factors that create these beachballs. I am not saying all is dandy, but we cannot rule out this fix as not doing anything at all.

I still get bad drops in read speed, but they no longer cause the system to beachball, so for me it seems the update got the OS to not totally overload the drive. What i'm saying is we cannot say this update is not addressing the EFI 1.7 issue, it's not a total fix but it might be some help.

I still don't understand why Apple doesn't just release a EFI 1.8 that fixes the issue, they had sufficient time to analyze the problem you would think.

 

[the1payday]

I'm not going to waste time to scroll through all the pages and point out where you've been somewhat arrogant (better describing term than "ass," my apologies) on MacRumors, or Apple.com's forum, but you really need to re-read your posts. They are filled with extreme arrogance where you constantly suggest that either a user's issue isn't truly fixed if they say it is, or that they never had the problem to begin with. Just because YOU'RE specific machine isn't working correctly, doesn't make it acceptable for you to tear into anyone who's issue has been fixed, or someone who is just asking a question. It's a very childish attitude to have.

 

[fishbert]

My issue looked EXACTLY the same, down to the same second between the freeze of movie until the beachball came. Can't be sure it is the same issue, but it seems likely. And my movies freeze in the exact same pattern after the update, only difference is they only freeze for a few seconds, and I no longer beachball.

What you're saying is that your machine had a freeze in the same manner that my machine had a freeze. That's a characteristic of a freeze, not of the issue that causes the freeze -- it's not enough to say the two are the same (as you rightly pointed out). What's different about how your machine looked is that you would still get your freezes after rolling back to EFI 1.6. This is enough to say there is a good chance your freezes were caused by something different.

That's no proof of this fix not working for anyone. Clearly there are many factors that create these beachballs. I am not saying all is dandy, but we cannot rule out this fix as not doing anything at all.

Nobody is saying Performance Update 1.0 does nothing at all. It was clearly released to fix an issue people were experiencing, and a number of people have said it has indeed fixed their freezing. Believe me, I am jealous of these people!

What I am saying, and what I have provided evidence for, is that Performance Update 1.0 does not fix the issue of EFI 1.7's faulty SATA II implementation.

I still get bad drops in read speed, but they no longer cause the system to beachball, so for me it seems the update got the OS to not totally overload the drive. What i'm saying is we cannot say this update is not addressing the EFI 1.7 issue, it's not a total fix but it might be some help.

I still don't understand why Apple doesn't just release a EFI 1.8 that fixes the issue, they had sufficient time to analyze the problem you would think.

Completely agree with you here -- it's been nearly 4 months now! I'm glad they are making progress with some hard drive issues (with the Hard Drive Firmware 2.0 update and Performance Update 1.0 releases), but their SATA II implementation in the EFI 1.7 firmware remains broken.

 

[fishbert]

I'm not going to waste time to scroll through all the pages and point out where you've been somewhat arrogant (better describing term than "ass," my apologies) on MacRumors, or Apple.com's forum, but you really need to re-read your posts. They are filled with extreme arrogance where you constantly suggest that either a user's issue isn't truly fixed if they say it is, or that they never had the problem to begin with. Just because YOU'RE specific machine isn't working correctly, doesn't make it acceptable for you to tear into anyone who's issue has been fixed, or someone who is just asking a question. It's a very childish attitude to have.

You don't have to, I've done the work for you, here's all of them:
https://forums.macrumors.com/search/?searchid=18205258

And there are only 14 posts (well, 15 including this one) for you to look at. Not too difficult.

You've made an inflammatory and insulting claim in identifying me as an ass and a troll by way of my posts in this thread, so I do expect that you will take the time to point out at least one (1) example of such behavior by me in this thread.

I look forward to your feedback/apology when you are done.

 

[Davidkoh]

What you're saying is that your machine had a freeze in the same manner that my machine had a freeze. That's a characteristic of a freeze, not of the issue that causes the freeze -- it's not enough to say the two are the same (as you rightly pointed out). What's different about how your machine looked is that you would still get your freezes after rolling back to EFI 1.6. This is enough to say there is a good chance your freezes were caused by something different.



Nobody is saying Performance Update 1.0 does nothing at all. It was clearly released to fix an issue people were experiencing, and a number of people have said it has indeed fixed their freezing. Believe me, I am jealous of these people!

What I am saying, and what I have provided evidence for, is that Performance Update 1.0 does not fix the issue of EFI 1.7's faulty SATA II implementation.

I still get bad drops in read speed, but they no longer cause the system to beachball, so for me it seems the update got the OS to not totally overload the drive. What i'm saying is we cannot say this update is not addressing the EFI 1.7 issue, it's not a total fix but it might be some help.


Completely agree with you here -- it's been nearly 4 months now! I'm glad they are making progress with some hard drive issues (with the Hard Drive Firmware 2.0 update and Performance Update 1.0 releases), but their SATA II implementation in the EFI 1.7 firmware remains broken.

What im getting at is I doubt my EFI 1.6 rollback worked properly, maybe because I used the stupid thing posted in this thread instead of taking it in (Apple in Sweden said they didn't know anything about any rollback tool). Far as I know the 1.6 and 1.7 should give different SATA speed measurements, I get the exact same figures when running tests (the 1.7 ones). And that combined with it all starting with updating to 1.7 makes it pretty likely it is the same issue, just that I haven't been able to rolled back to 1.6. Wouldn't you agree it is kinda strange to get same speeds on 1.6 and 1.7 if the rollback was totally successfull? (Once I even completed the roll back, i.e. I got the progress bar came in os x it said the "sucessfull" thing and then checked, was still on 1.7)

I think this issue does indeed address the EFI 1.7 issue some of us have, not completely and not in the most optimum way. But I am pretty sure my issue is related in some way to the EFI 1.7, and this made it better. You do have to agree my case seems a bit too closely tied to EFI 1.7 to be a completely different issue, thats because:

1) issue started with update to EFI 1.7
2) "rolling back" to EFI 1.7 using the rocovery.dmg posted not always really rolling it back despite it claiming "success" and never bringing me the EFI 1.6 speeds (always the speeds I got from 1.7)
3) Beachballs occurring in the same way as for you (the other issues do not display in the exact same way)

Don't you think it seems quite strange? I don't really seem to get back to EFI 1.6 properly (the speeds), so it could just be that Apple didn't fully look into this issue and just took some parameters in consideration, therefor only fixing it for some people.

 

[yetanotherdave]

What im getting at is I doubt my EFI 1.6 rollback worked properly, maybe because I used the stupid thing posted in this thread instead of taking it in (Apple in Sweden said they didn't know anything about any rollback tool). Far as I know the 1.6 and 1.7 should give different SATA speed measurements, I get the exact same figures when running tests (the 1.7 ones). And that combined with it all starting with updating to 1.7 makes it pretty likely it is the same issue, just that I haven't been able to rolled back to 1.6. Wouldn't you agree it is kinda strange to get same speeds on 1.6 and 1.7 if the rollback was totally successfull? (Once I even completed the roll back, i.e. I got the progress bar came in os x it said the "sucessfull" thing and then checked, was still on 1.7)

I think this issue does indeed address the EFI 1.7 issue some of us have, not completely and not in the most optimum way. But I am pretty sure my issue is related in some way to the EFI 1.7, and this made it better. You do have to agree my case seems a bit too closely tied to EFI 1.7 to be a completely different issue, thats because:

1) issue started with update to EFI 1.7
2) "rolling back" to EFI 1.7 using the rocovery.dmg posted not always really rolling it back despite it claiming "success" and never bringing me the EFI 1.6 speeds (always the speeds I got from 1.7)
3) Beachballs occurring in the same way as for you (the other issues do not display in the exact same way)

Don't you think it seems quite strange? I don't really seem to get back to EFI 1.6 properly (the speeds), so it could just be that Apple didn't fully look into this issue and just took some parameters in consideration, therefor only fixing it for some people.

If your HDD was never using greater than 1.5Gb/s speed before the 1.7 update (because it's a regular HDD instead of an SDD) then the 1.7 update wont make it faster, it just allows for faster drives to run at their maximum speed.
(laptop) HDD's only need SATA1 as they can't go faster to begin with
SDD's can use SATA1 but will hit a performance ceiling at 1.5Gb/s, 1.7 allows them to go faster.

Just because your HDD didn't go faster doesn't mean anything, what did system profiler tell you about your SATA max speed?

 

[jamin100]

Can i ask what the read / write speed for a 7200rpm drive should be?

Earlier this week i posted a screenshot showing a read/write speed of about 71mbs.

After updating to EFI 1.7 and applying the Performance update i am still only getting 71mbs . .

The drive is a WD scorpio black 320gb 7200rpm. I have checked in system preferences and it is saying that is SATA 3.0

Anyone?

 

[Davidkoh]

If your HDD was never using greater than 1.5Gb/s speed before the 1.7 update (because it's a regular HDD instead of an SDD) then the 1.7 update wont make it faster, it just allows for faster drives to run at their maximum speed.
(laptop) HDD's only need SATA1 as they can't go faster to begin with
SDD's can use SATA1 but will hit a performance ceiling at 1.5Gb/s, 1.7 allows them to go faster.

Just because your HDD didn't go faster doesn't mean anything, what did system profiler tell you about your SATA max speed?

Im using a Intel X25-M SSD

 

[phineas]

I'm not going to waste time to scroll through all the pages and point out where you've been somewhat arrogant (better describing term than "ass," my apologies) on MacRumors, or Apple.com's forum, but you really need to re-read your posts. They are filled with extreme arrogance where you constantly suggest that either a user's issue isn't truly fixed if they say it is, or that they never had the problem to begin with. Just because YOU'RE specific machine isn't working correctly, doesn't make it acceptable for you to tear into anyone who's issue has been fixed, or someone who is just asking a question. It's a very childish attitude to have.

Why dont you two take this up through PM's and keep the forum's clean

Thanks

 

[jamin100]

agreed, - I'd still like an answer to my question too before it gets lost in your slanging match

 

[p3ncil]

refer to post 576

 

[fishbert]

What im getting at is I doubt my EFI 1.6 rollback worked properly, maybe because I used the stupid thing posted in this thread instead of taking it in (Apple in Sweden said they didn't know anything about any rollback tool). Far as I know the 1.6 and 1.7 should give different SATA speed measurements, I get the exact same figures when running tests (the 1.7 ones). And that combined with it all starting with updating to 1.7 makes it pretty likely it is the same issue, just that I haven't been able to rolled back to 1.6. Wouldn't you agree it is kinda strange to get same speeds on 1.6 and 1.7 if the rollback was totally successfull? (Once I even completed the roll back, i.e. I got the progress bar came in os x it said the "sucessfull" thing and then checked, was still on 1.7)

I think this issue does indeed address the EFI 1.7 issue some of us have, not completely and not in the most optimum way. But I am pretty sure my issue is related in some way to the EFI 1.7, and this made it better. You do have to agree my case seems a bit too closely tied to EFI 1.7 to be a completely different issue, thats because:

1) issue started with update to EFI 1.7
2) "rolling back" to EFI 1.7 using the rocovery.dmg posted not always really rolling it back despite it claiming "success" and never bringing me the EFI 1.6 speeds (always the speeds I got from 1.7)
3) Beachballs occurring in the same way as for you (the other issues do not display in the exact same way)

Don't you think it seems quite strange? I don't really seem to get back to EFI 1.6 properly (the speeds), so it could just be that Apple didn't fully look into this issue and just took some parameters in consideration, therefor only fixing it for some people.

The EFI 1.7 update came out only 14 days after the mid-2009 MBPs were released. If you were still seeing your issue after rolling back to EFI 1.6, are you really sure that it began with the EFI 1.7 update? Is it possible that it was there before then? Or perhaps began whenever you changed hard drives (whether that was in those first 14 days or after EFI 1.7 came out)?

There were a few problems with the MBPs from around that time (this EFI update issue, the click/beep problem people were having, etc.), perhaps all the talk and press about various MacBook Pro beachballing problems from around that time made it more noticeable after the EFI 1.7 update? (like when you learn a new word, then all of a sudden start hearing it everywhere.)

I'm not saying your freezing issue didn't start with EFI 1.7... just wondering if it's possible and how you'd really know if it was still there after rolling back to EFI 1.6.

Also, an easy way to see what firmware version you're running (more reliable than checking benchmarks) is to look on the first page System Profiler brings up. What's listed under "Boot ROM Version" will end in "B02" for EFI 1.6, and will end in "B03" for EFI 1.7.

 

[Davidkoh]

Can i ask what the read / write speed for a 7200rpm drive should be?

Earlier this week i posted a screenshot showing a read/write speed of about 71mbs.

After updating to EFI 1.7 and applying the Performance update i am still only getting 71mbs . .

The drive is a WD scorpio black 320gb 7200rpm. I have checked in system preferences and it is saying that is SATA 3.0

Anyone?

A 7200 RPM shouldn't need SATA 3.0